Wednesday, I broke down the winners of the 2018 NFL head coaching class. By picking winners, we automatically assume there must then be losers. In this round of head coaching hires, there most certainly were.
Last season, the easy loser outside of the entire San Diego-based portion of the Chargers’ fanbase was Philip Rivers. Rivers delivered another fantastic season for the Chargers. And, once again thanks to a shitty head coach, it amounted to absolutely nothing.
LOSERS
Case Keenum
Considering Keenum will probably sign an $18 million a year contract with some team next season, calling him a “loser” might be a little strong. The thing is, there was a point where he and his former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur looked like a package deal. Shurmur was an early name mentioned in connection with the Arizona Cardinals and since quarterback Carson Palmer retired along with Bruce Arians, Keenum would have slid right into that starting job in an offense he already knows and has performed well in. Now, Keenum will have to learn a new system unless he somehow stays in Minnesota.
I’ve said it before, Case Keenum is like Milk, it’s good for awhile but it always has an Expiration date.
— Kirk Morrison (@kirkmorrison) January 22, 2018
Marcus Mariota
For a moment, it all seemed so perfect. The Tennessee Titans had made the playoffs, in spite of the ineptitude of head coach Mike Mularkey and thanks in no small part to the absolute dumpster fire the AFC playoff race became. If they’d lost their opening round game, owner Amy Adams Strunk was going to fire Mularkey and make an offer to New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Mariota would have had one of the best offensive minds in football designing and calling plays for him for the next half decade at least. Then, it all went up in smoke.
Thanks to Mariota’s own terrific performance as he called the plays himself with no help from Mularkey or the sidelines, the Titans defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in their AFC Wild Card Game and McDaniels was lost to the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts. Mularkey was still let go.
For those bringing up Marcus Mariota in Tennessee and the uncertainty with Andrew Luck’s shoulder when talking about McDaniels, I continue to be told Luck’s recovery has been going exceptionally well since returning from Europe
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) January 15, 2018
Tennessee Titans Fans
Hey, I live in Tennessee. I know it was exciting to make the playoffs and win the first postseason game in a decade, but this off-season has already turned into a disaster in Nashville. Here’s how the AFC South sets up for next season; Andrew Luck is back in Indianapolis with McDaniels calling plays, Deshaun Watson is healthy in Houston and the Jacksonville Jaguars, presumably with a new quarterback like Keenum or Sam Bradford, will defending their conference title. To combat that onslaught, the Titans made the worst hire of this head coaching round in Mike Vrabel, a guy who coached one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2017. I predicted, if Mularkey was back, Tennessee would go 5-11 in 2018. With Vrabel, they may go 4-12.
Cincinnati Bengals Fans
The opportunity was right there in front of them. Marvin Lewis’ contract was up and all the Bengals had to do was let him walk right out the door and reboot their entire organization. Instead, with their top two options to replace Lewis off the table (Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins and Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns – Both nightmare scenarios all on their own), Cincinnati decided they weren’t through with being thoroughly mediocre. Marvin Lewis signed a new, two year contract exactly as I predicted he would.
ICYMI: Our new defensive coordinator is here and ready to work! #Bengals pic.twitter.com/JtyGcxbHvO
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 16, 2018
Todd Haley
Todd Haley’s offense wasn’t the reason the Pittsburgh Steelers lost their AFC Divisional Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. You could argue about not calling a QB sneak for Roethlisberger on fourth and one was dumb and you’d have a point, but ultimately Pittsburgh put up 42 points on a pretty terrific defense. They were in the Top 10 in points scored in the the NFL for the last four seasons. Still, Haley and Roethlisberger apparently didn’t get along and that means Todd got the boot.
He landed on his feet, of course, with a new job. It’s just that his new job is in Cleveland. He goes from calling plays for Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell to running an offense under Hue Jackson with either another rookie quarterback or DeShone Kizer. Even if the Browns do the smart thing and pursue Kirk Cousins with everything they have, it’s still a move downward from the Steelers. The difference in working for the Rooney family versus Jimmy Haslam alone is like stepping off a Tahiti beach and into a bear trap covered with the bubonic plague.
We've officially hired Todd Haley as our offensive coordinator
Additional coaching hires » https://t.co/bAxYQxEbMa pic.twitter.com/3yOHQmtMiX
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 24, 2018
Jameis Winston
I know Winston publicly gave his support for Dirk Koetter’s return as head coach, but we’ve already seen how this show ends. Is there a world where Koetter suddenly figures it out while playing in the same division as the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons? All three of those teams won 10 or more games this season and made the playoffs. Anybody expect a drop-off in 2018?
Winston has a ton of talent, but he needs a head coach to bring out the best in him and negate his tendency to make mistakes. He’s a lot like Brett Favre that way. If Koetter’s the guy, he hasn’t shown it over his first two seasons as a head coach.
Jay Gruden
How could a guy that probably should have been fired still be a loser after all this? Well, I’ll tell you. First off, he had a job waiting in Cincinnati with a new contract and far less expectations wearing on him. Taking over for Lewis and leading a rebuild would have bought Gruden at least three more seasons to draw an NFL coach’s salary and waste away any talent the Bengals had on their team.
Jay Gruden on Kirk Cousins and #Redskins’ team needs: “There’s different ways to target a position. It doesn’t mean we have to target it by paying a guy $500 million.” https://t.co/mRITgk31rK
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 24, 2018
Instead, he’s stuck in Washington and it’s getting clearer all the time he’ll be without Kirk Cousins, his franchise quarterback. Between Gruden’s own statements and those of Redskins’ management, it’s obvious they’re letting Cousins hit the market and when he does, he’ll be gone. That means Washington will take the field with Keenum, Colt McCoy or even a rookie quarterback this season. There’s no way they win and no way Gruden isn’t fired next year. Sure, Cincy could again decide to haul is ass up to Ohio, but he’ll have to compete with Hue Jackson, who will also be fired. And, I mean, God forbid Mike Brown actually looks for somebody qualified for the job.
On the bright side for Gruden, his brother Jon will probably toss him a bone and, if not, there’s the XFL now.
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